Mantra 2

Sukta 10

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

श्रेयांसमेनमात्मनो मानयेत् तथा क्षत्राय ना वृश्चते तथा राष्ट्राय ना वृश्चते

IAST Transliteration

śréyāṁsaménam ātmáno mānayét táthā kṣatrā́ya ná vṛ́ścate táthā rāṣṭrā́ya ná vṛ́ścate

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Let him honour this man as better than himself; so is the Kṣatra not shorn away, so is the Realm not shorn away.

Word by Word

श्रेयांसम्the better/ श्रेष्ठ (one)

एनम्him/this (person)

आत्मनःof oneself / of the self

मानयेत्should honor / should esteem

तथाthus / in the same way

क्षत्रायfor kṣatra (royal power / the warrior order)

नnot

वृश्चतेis cut off / is destroyed

तथाlikewise

राष्ट्रायfor the realm/kingdom (state)

नnot

वृश्चतेis cut off / is destroyed

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally connected with Atharvanic royal-theology strata (Bṛhaspati/Indra complex in the surrounding verses)

Devata: Kṣatra and Rāṣṭra (as institutional powers), with implicit Brahmanic sanction

Chandas: Prose/Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (late Atharvanic political prose style)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"From potential political loss to confident stabilization through proper honor.","listener_experience":"A courtly seriousness; sense of duty and cohesion.","intensity":6}